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"YARNELL, Ariz. (AP) — A sudden windstorm turned an Arizona forest fire into an out-of-control inferno that trapped and killed 19 firefighters, nearly all of them members of an elite crew of "hotshots," authorities said Monday. It was the nation's biggest loss of firefighters in a wildfire in 80 years.

The flames swept over the victims Sunday evening as they took cover in their foil-lined emergency shelters.

"This is as dark a day as I can remember," Gov. Jan Brewer said in a statement. "It may be days or longer before an investigation reveals how this tragedy occurred, but the essence we already know in our hearts: Fighting fires is dangerous work."

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Power now restored to 3 transmission lines carrying power to vast parts of Quebec

July 4, 2013

"Half a million Hydro-Québec customers were without power at rush hour for the second straight day, as widespread outages caused by forest fires in northern Quebec affected transmission lines.

The utility said Montreal and other parts of southern Quebec were affected.

By 7:30 p.m. most customers had their power restored, and Hydro-Québec tweeted that its three major transmission lines shut down by heat and smoke from forest fires in northern Quebec were operational once again.

The blackouts occurred nearly exactly 24 hours after a similar power failure caused by the forest fires, despite the utility's best efforts to protect the network."

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"A massive fire spread across a nature reserve in the capital of Argentina on Wednesday, just a few blocks from the city's political and financial center. Authorities suspect an arsonist might have set the blaze. No injuries have been reported and the fire has reportedly been brought under control. "

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" CALIFORNIA – A wildfire raged out of control in the high desert east of Los Angeles on Wednesday, injuring two firefighters and one civilian and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents of three small communities. The fire broke out shortly after 2 p.m. near a back-country road south of Banning, about 90 miles outside Los Angeles in Riverside County.

Within hours it had blackened more than 5,000 acres, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokesman Daniel Berlandt said. The department’s website said three people had been injured but provided no additional details. Poppet Flats, Twin Pines and Silent Valley were under mandatory evacuation orders, and Highway 243 had been closed,

Berlandt said. Shelters had been set up at high schools in nearby Hemet and Beaumont, the department’s website said. Berlandt said several structures had been destroyed by the flames, but it was not immediately clear whether any of them were homes.

A wildfire has burnt 6,000 acres in Riverside County, Calfornia as hundreds of people are forced to leave their homes. The blaze broke out shortly after 2pm on Wednesday near a back-country road south of Banning, about 90 miles outside Los Angeles in Riverside County. Within hours it had scorched more than 6,000 acres. Two firefighters have been injured and one civilian.

Poppet Flats, Twin Pines and Silent Valley are under mandatory evacuation orders and Highway 243 has been closed. Report by Ashley Fudge"

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More than 10,000 homes are threatened by a furious Idaho wildfire, including getaways owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis, after an all-out “ground and air attack” failed to stop the blaze spreading to more than 126,000 acres, according to latest reports from the U.S. Forest Service. “Take your essentials, belongs and pets and GO NOW,” a news release on inciweb warned those in the path of the lightning-sparked Beaver Creek fire. Despite an army of more than 1,200 firefighters, the blaze continues to spread across parched sagebrush, grasslands and pine forests in the Sun Valley area. “Every fire has a personality, and this fire has an angry personality,” Beth Lund, and incident commander with the U.S. Forest Service team managing the blaze in central Idaho told Reuters. More than 10,000 homes near the towns of Hailey and Ketchum remain threatened by the blaze, including luxury getaways owned by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis.

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"AUSTRALIA- New South Wales is bracing for a potentially devastating day of bushfires, with the state’s fire commissioner urging people not to travel to the Blue Mountains due to conditions that are set to be “as bad as it gets.” The fire danger warning for the greater Sydney area, the Blue Mountains and the Hunter valley has been set to “extreme” – the second highest level.

Shane Fitzsimmons, commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, said the forecast for Wednesday was worse than previously thought, making it the most dangerous day yet in the bushfire emergency that began last Thursday. “The temperature will be in the mid to high 30s, humidity down to 10% and wind strengths of 80 to 100km/h,” he said. “The forecast and scenario for tomorrow is about as bad as it gets.”

All schools and childcare centers in the Blue Mountains will be closed, with Fitzsimmons urging residents to seriously consider fleeing their homes. “If you are going to leave, leave early,” he said. “Leaving early is always the safest option. Know your fire safety plan and be decisive. Procrastination won’t be helpful,” he said. “We will do everything we can, but it would be wrong of me to provide a guarantee that we will deliver on providing a truck to every home, a message to every person. It is simply something we cannot guarantee, but we will do our absolute dandiest to make sure we can."

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"BIG SUR, Calif. — Firefighters were expected to get some help Wednesday from the weather as they battle an unusual late fall wildfire that has destroyed more than a dozen homes and forced about 100 people to flee the scenic Big Sur region overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Winds were expected to be calm during the day, and there's a minimal chance of rain.

The slow-moving fire in Los Padres National Forest near state Highway 1 had consumed 769 acres, or a little over a square mile, by Tuesday night and was 20 percent contained. Full containment was expected by late Friday.

It has destroyed 22 buildings, Los Padres National Forest spokesman Lynn Olson said. About 14 of those structures were homes, she said.

No injuries have been reported.

Mark Nunez, the incident commander of the team fighting the fire, said 829 firefighters had deployed to the area, and thus far, weather has been working in their favor."

Already 125 acres large with 30 acres completely charred, the fire has caused evacuations to be ordered in the surrounding communities and brought 600 firefighters to fight the blaze. The area is about 25 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

The region’s notorious Santa Ana winds, which have fueled some of Southern California’s worst wildfires, are currently picking up and could push the fire out of the mountains and into the neighborhoods below

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Here in Western Australia, we've had a couple of bad fires as well - there was one in the Parkerville/Stoneville area just east of Perth last Sunday - 54 houses destroyed, but very lucky not more, and no lives lost. (I was there helping).

Now, there are quite a few fires in South Australia and Victoria, houses lost and several lives lost.

But 'our glorious leaders' tell us there is nothing to worry about, they will protect us...

"– WALES- A fire on bogland is out after dramatic scenes earlier of flames and smoke billowing over a nearby coastal village. Natural Resources Wales said minimal damage was caused by the fire close to High Street, Borth, near Aberystwyth. Fire crews were called at 05:20 GMT on Friday and allowed the blaze, which covered about a hectare (2.5 acres), to burn itself out by early afternoon. Resident Bryn Jones said the scene was “incredible” given the wet weather. The cause of the fire is not yet known but is being investigated. Natural Resources Wales, which leases the land from the RSPB, said the fire appeared to have been restricted to surface grass rather than the peat. The Ceredigion coast has borne the brunt of the bad weather in recent times, with buildings damaged by high winds this week. The seafront at Aberystwyth needed repairs after taking a battering from stormy seas in January. During the height of the fire, resident Mr Jones said: “You can see flames and smoke along the back of the village.”

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Wildfire Destroys 500 Homes in Chile Killing 2: One of the Worst Fires in Chile's History

A wildfire was raging in a highly populated area of Chile early Sunday after killing two people and consuming more than 500 homes, officials said. At least one more person has been injured in the flames that have swept over at least 660 acres, said Chile’s National Emergency Office (ONEMI). Strong winds fanned the flames into Valparaiso and Viña del Mar, two adjacent cities on the Pacific coast, ONEMI said. “It’s been one of the worst fires in history,” said Vina del Mar fire superintendent, Fernando Reseio, who has been a firefighter for 30 years.

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"SAN DIEGO (AP) — A fast-moving wildfire ignited hillsides and destroyed more than two dozen homes Wednesday in the coastal city of Carlsbad as weary firefighters scrambled to control multiple blazes in Southern California on the second day of a sweltering heat wave.

Flames were shooting up along canyon ridges as thick black smoke darkened blue skies over the small city, about 30 miles north of San Diego, known for its Legoland California amusement park that was closed Wednesday because of a power outage.

Mandatory evacuations were in progress, and more than 11,000 notices were sent to homes and businesses. Local TV broadcasts showed the blaze engulfing suburban-style homes with manicured lawns."

"An out-of-control brush fire at Camp Pendleton was creeping closer to the San Onofre nuclear power plant, prompting evacuations.

Southern California Edison said in a tweet that "about a dozen non-essential employees evacuated" from the plant because of the fire.

The plant is located off Interstate 5 at the Orange-San Diego county line north of Camp Pendleton. Edison announced last year it was closing the plant due to structural problems with facility.

The Camp Pendleton fire was spotted shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday and forced evacuations of the De Luz housing area, Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary School and the Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook, which is on the northeast edge of the sprawling base.

A second school and housing area have been evacuated as the brush fire at Camp Pendleton continues to spread. The fire, dubbed the Tomahawk fire, on the northeast section of the base, had burned more than 150 acres as of 1 p.m., according to Cal Fire."

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"According to the Alaskan Division of Forestry the Funny River fire was very active overnight (May 20) because of low humidity. Currently the fire is estimated to be near 7,000 acres and has reached Tustumena Lake. It is spreading east and west along the shore, is 10 miles long, and is about a mile wide with broadening at the lake shore. There have been no evacuations or reports of any structures lost.

Early this morning (May 21), flame lengths of 125 feet with erratic fire behavior were reported. Winds for today are forecasted to remain out of the north keeping the fire headed in a southerly direction. Crews are working to build line on the western edge. The fire came close but did not cross Funny River road on the north flank of the fire last night (May 20) due to the efforts of fire crews,a ir support and an existing fuel break. Firefighter activity will focus on securing the north flank on Funny River and the south west corner to safeguard the community of Kasilof. Significant smoke is blanketing the city of Soldotna.

There are 40 personnel assigned to the fire with more fire crews on their way. The Alaska Type 2 Incident Management Team has been assigned to the fire should have arrived on the scene May 20.

The Skunk Fire which began as a lightning strike on Saturday, April 19 is currently 31,167 acres large including fire growth and back burns. Credit: NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team

"The Skunk Fire which began as a lightning strike on Saturday, April 19 is currently 31,167 acres large including fire growth and back burns.The fire continues to move in a north westerly direction and an easterly direction towards ponderosa pine forest. South and North side of the fire is contained. The terrain for this fire is steep with scattered boulders making firefighting more difficult.

The entire fire is currently 44% contained and full containment is expected by Friday, May 23, according to Inciweb.org.

The National Weather Service has forecast maximum temperatures between 78-93 degrees for May 20. Southwest winds around 10 -15 miles and increasing to 20 mph in the afternoon with gusts to 30 mph. Ridge tops wind will be southwest 20-25 mph."

"(CNN) -- Authorities asked people to evacuate 1,000 structures near a wildfire in Alaska's Kenai National Wildlife Refuge on Sunday as the blaze spread.

The Funny River Fire has been raging for almost a week in Soldotna, south of Anchorage, growing to engulf 140,000 acres by Sunday afternoon. Now, fire officials are worried recreational cabins and second homes where residents and retirees are spending the holiday weekend may be at risk, said Michelle Weston with the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team.

The voluntary evacuation notice was issued for structures near the blaze on Sunday, Weston said.

So far, no structures have burned in the fire.

Earlier Sunday, emergency officials said windy weather was pushing the fire further into the refuge and away from homes."

"BREWSTER, Wash. — The town of Malott and areas around Brewster were evacuated Friday night as hundreds of more people fled a devastating wildfire that had already scorched nearly 170,000 acres and destroyed up to 100 homes in north-central Washington.

“Simply put, there’s a firestorm in Washington right now,” Gov. Jay Inslee said earlier Friday. “The growth of this fire is almost unprecedented.”

On Friday night, authorities ordered the evacuation of the small town of Malott, Wash., population of about 500, and people from the outskirts of the larger town of Brewster, which is home to about 2,400 people."

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"A wildfire has burned between 300 and 500 acres near Foresta in Yosemite National Park on Saturday afternoon and caused mandatory evacuations for the community of Foresta, said park spokeswoman Kari Cobb.

It started mid-afternoon and was moving northeast and uphill, towards Foresta's big meadow, Cobb said. The road is closed at the Highway 140 and 120 junction all the way to the Crane Flat gas station -- currently preventing motorists from driving to Tuolumne Meadows from Yosemite Valley."

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A fire burns on Wiseman Island in Jefferson, Oregon. Firefighters in Marion County say the state-owned island in the Santiam River is expected to burn for several days. Because firefighters cannot reach the site, the state Fish and Wildlife Department let it burn. (jefferson fire district via associated press)

DENVER — This year’s below-average wildfire season comes as welcome news for Westerners, but it’s also burning a hole in the environmentalist narrative on climate change.

Although summer isn’t over, and fires are burning in California and Oregon, it has been a mild year in terms of the number of wildfires and acres burned, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

The agency reports that 2.77 million acres have burned this year as of Sept. 5, a decline from the 3.9 million acres that had burned by the same date in 2013 and less than half the 10-year average of 6.2 million acres. The number of fires, 38,451, is also down considerably from the 10-year average of 56,278.

That reduction is even more impressive given that the Pacific Northwest was hit with an above-average wildfire season. In July Washington suffered the most destructive fire in its history, the Carlton Complex Fire, which burned 252,000 acres and destroyed 300 homes in the state’s north-central region."

"The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has had an especially busy year, responding to 4,974 fires through Saturday — “over 1,000 more than normal,” according to a Cal Fire spokesman. But no conflagration in the state this year has been larger than the King fire, which has spread across so many acres in drought-dried Northern California that it’s now larger than several major American cities, including Atlanta, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Portland.

The wildfire, which began east of Sacramento on Sept. 13, continues to burn through steep, timber-filled terrain. As of Tuesday morning, the King fire covered 89,574 acres and was 35 percent contained, Cal Fire said."snip

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"(Reuters) - Evacuation orders were lifted on Sunday for residents near a fast-moving brush fire east of Los Angeles that had threatened more than 200 homes overnight, even though heavy smoke was still menacing the area, fire department officials said.

The blaze, named the "Highway Fire," had grown to about 980 acres and was 25 percent contained, according to an afternoon update posted on the Riverside County Fire Department website.

Residents sensitive to smoke were cautioned to stay inside as windy conditions blew the haze around the Prado Dam region, about an hour's drive east of Los Angeles in drought-stricken California."

The Ukrainian National Guard has been put on high alert due to worsening forest fires around the crippled Chernobyl nuclear power plant, according to Ukraine Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

"The forest fire situation around the Chernobyl power plant has worsened," a statement on Avakov's Facebook page says.

"The forest fire is heading in the direction of Chernobyl's installations. Treetop flames and strong gusts of wind have created a real danger of the fire spreading to an area within 20 kilometers of the power plant. There are about 400 hectares [988 acres] of forests in the endangered area."

Avakov says the Ukrainian prime minister has called an emergency meeting on how to tackle the situation. Police and National Guard units are on high alert.

<snip>

Ukraine's acting head of emergency services said earlier the forest fires were not a threat to the sarcophagus sealing off Chernobyl's crippled Reactor 4.